Gwinnett offers paid CDL training, up to $31 an hour for school bus drivers
Gwinnett County Public Schools is recruiting school bus drivers starting at $22.44 an hour with paid CDL training. The district hosts regular virtual job fairs and offers benefits, targeting multiple communities across Gwinnett. Drivers can work split shifts following the school calendar, with potential earnings up to $31 per hour.
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NORTH ATLANTA — Gwinnett County Public Schools is recruiting school bus drivers with starting pay of $22.44 an hour, paid commercial-driver training and most routes providing six to eight hours of work a day.
The district’s next virtual bus-driver job fair begins at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, Aug. 25. Additional online sessions are scheduled each Tuesday through Sept. 29.
The openings cover routes across Gwinnett, including schools in Duluth, Peachtree Corners, Sugar Hill and Suwanee. GCPS has not disclosed how many drivers it intends to hire or set a closing date for applications.
No commercial driver’s license is required before training. Selected applicants are paid while completing classroom instruction, driving-range practice, road training and CDL testing administered by the district.
That removes one of the largest upfront obstacles for people considering commercial driving. GCPS values the training at more than $2,100.
What the pay means
New drivers start at $22.44 an hour. The district advertises a top rate exceeding $31, although it does not specify how quickly a new employee could reach that level.
At the starting rate, six paid hours would produce $134.64 in gross daily income. Eight hours would produce $179.52. Over a five-day school week, that amounts to between $673.20 and $897.60 before taxes, retirement contributions and benefit deductions.
The calculation assumes a full week of scheduled routes. It does not include additional work, such as field trips, which can increase earnings.
Applicants should also understand that a bus driver’s workday is not a conventional six- or eight-hour shift.
Drivers generally handle morning and afternoon routes, with a break that typically runs from about 9:30 a.m. until 1:30 p.m. Most finish by 5 p.m. Weekend assignments may be available for field trips, but the district says they are not required.
The long midday break could suit a parent, retiree or worker operating a small business between routes. It may be less practical for someone who needs continuous daytime hours or plans to hold a second job with a fixed schedule.
Drivers follow the student calendar, meaning summers, major holidays and school breaks interrupt earnings. GCPS guarantees route hours, not a 12-month salary.
Benefits come with an important retirement distinction
Eligible drivers can enroll in medical, dental, vision and short-term disability coverage. The district contributes toward benefit costs and provides $15,000 in basic life insurance to benefited employees.
Drivers participate in the Georgia Public School Employees Retirement System and the Gwinnett Retirement System, which serves as the district’s replacement for Social Security.
GCPS does not participate in Social Security for these positions. That means Social Security payroll tax is not withheld from the paycheck, but wages from the job do not build a worker’s Social Security earnings record.
The distinction is especially important for applicants comparing the position with private-sector commercial driving. Prospective employees should consider the value and required contributions of the two retirement plans rather than evaluating the higher take-home amount alone.
Federal law no longer reduces Social Security benefits simply because a worker also receives a pension from employment that was not covered by Social Security. The Windfall Elimination Provision and Government Pension Offset were repealed for benefits payable beginning in January 2024, according to the Social Security Administration.
Who can apply
Applicants must be at least 21 and have a good driving record. A completed application must include work history and a reference form from a previous supervisor.
The district will contact qualified applicants to arrange interviews. Candidates may begin through the GCPS transportation application portal.
GCPS also allows drivers to bring school-age children on their buses when the children attend a school in the driver’s assigned zone. The district says it attempts to place parents in the same zone as their children when possible.
People who want transportation work without earning a CDL can also apply for bus-monitor positions. Monitors assist students receiving special-education transportation services and receive many of the same benefits, although their pay follows a separate scale.
Tuesday’s job fair can be joined through the Zoom link on the district’s bus-driver recruiting page. Later sessions are scheduled for Sept. 1, 8, 15, 22 and 29, all at 10:30 a.m.
Applicants can receive notices about future recruiting events by texting @drive4gcps to 81010. Transportation recruiting questions may be directed to 678-225-7670.
For someone seeking benefits and six to eight paid hours on school days, the position offers a clear route into commercial driving without paying for CDL training first. The tradeoff is equally clear: a split workday and earnings that stop during long school breaks.
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